Chondo
Chondo, also known as Skyholm, is an Eastern city built in the middle of a long extinct caldera lake. Over 6,000 metres above sea level, the city is famed for its melons grown in the enshrouding clouds that cover the caldera. Founding When Hyolyn Skyseeker first discovered Chondo Lake, the mystic found her locus between heaven and the earth. Wreathed in an unblemished canopy of mist and bordered by lush shores, the Lake was everything the wanderer had been looking for. Barely accessible by foot, hidden from the world, what more could a hermit ask for? But Hyolyn was convinced that the caldera was more than an abode for hermits like her; something about the Black Rock island at the center of the lake called to her and tugged at her soul. Loathe as she was to leave, Hyolyn descended the treacherous volcano and made contact with a nearby village. She managed to convince the simple-minded folk of her visions, and led them to her paradise-on-earth. Though more than a quarter died on the journey, the sight of the caldera was reward enough for the survivors. They began work immediately, reestablishing their homes on the verdant shores of the lake while Hyolyn undertook her own spiritual quest with a select few to the Black Rock. In the years that followed, Hyolyn's temple grew as the population flourished. Though isolated from the external world, she infrequently dispatched men and women to sound out the state of the world beyond. The occasional world-weary merchant or mercenary would accompany these scouts home to Chondo and settle there, but for the most part, Chondo remained hidden. Hyolyn had been dead for years uncountable by the time airships were invented, and her spiritual successors considerably less concerned with isolation. The Chondothan community embraced the sky-vessels enthusiastically, now able to make use of their abundant produce. Sky-traders expanded their routes to have Chondo as a major stopping point, and it wasn't long before Chondothan melons acquired their famed reputation. Economy As noted before, the most profitable Chondothan export is their melons. These cloud-melons have a distinctive sweetness when eaten fresh, but many styles of cuisine have turned them into savoury delights instead. Cloud-melons are in great demand and fetch prices comparable to Somaren clockwork. Other secondary markets worth trading in include vegetable produce and obsidian glass. Volcanic glass makes for durable pottery that can help preserve foodstuffs without excessive use of salt. Between the pottery and ornamental jewelry, the glass-making industry is doing just fine. Some even market the waters of Lake Chondo. While nobody is certain if the lake is truly holy, these sellers swear by the curative and health-preserving qualities of their pristine draught. Indeed, they point to the melons, why else would the melons taste so good? Religion While there is no all-encompassing religion to be found in the Chondothan community, many locals can be seen to invoke the name of Hyolyn alongside whichever religion they have chosen to embrace. A local sect by the name of the Skysworn worship Hyolyn as the Cloud Mystic who raised Chondo. The Skysworn are less than fond of the mercantile nature of their city, but they have existed for so long that the passive-aggressive attitude they bring towards outsiders are considered a quaint facet of local culture. Furthermore, the Skysworn tend towards working for sky-traders as hired guards to satisfy their desire to tread the skies. All in all, the Skysworn are as much a part of the trade-oriented culture of Chondo, no matter how much they disdain it. Chondo is also home to the Skyseekers, a monastic order dedicated to the gathering, recording and study of world religions. Food Chondothan melons form a major part of Chondothan cuisine and used to add both sweet and savoury flavours to food. Chondothan melons form the base of Chondothan syrup and Chondothan sauce, two cornerstones of Chondothan cuisine. Chondothan syrup emphasizes the sweetness of Chondothan melons, using fresh raw melons juiced and mixed with sugar to form a sticky sweet syrup. Chondothan sauce is prepared by stewing the melons with spices, producing a savoury gravy essential to Chondothan cuisine. The caldera which Chondo sits on is rich in mineral volcanic salts. Chondothan volcanic salts are often added to local food to add flavour. They are said to be unique in flavour due to the mineral composition of the caldera. * Chonko (dessert), a traditional sweet dessert made from half a Chondothan melon, hollowed out and filled with crushed ice mixed with volcanic salts and topped with Chondothan syrup. Category:City